C. - Chapter 2: A Gentle Persuasion

26 2 0
                                    

"You owe me big for this."

Tommy at least had the decency to look embarrassed, hiding his twitching lips behind the cup of tea that had been brought over. Ranboo just gave him a withering look, not wanting to touch his own tea out of spite for his own humiliation.

The leader of the Paranormal Liberation Front, soon-to-be Symbol of Fear, being bounced around by an elasticity quirk, flailing in the air unable to Decay anything. And that goddamn La Brava got the whole thing recorded and was holding onto it like blackmail. The absolute NERVE.

And Tommy, that treacherous fiend, LAUGHED after a particularly elastic throw that had sent Ranboo ass-over tit upside-down into a tree.

(Tommy SWORE Ranboo screamed. Ranboo did NOT.)

And now here they were after a long chase, a short strangely equal battle of strength between Tommy and Gentle Criminal, and Ranboo almost Decaying La Brava after she kicked him in revenge of her beloved partner finally being defeated. After the fact, Tommy told them he JUST came by to talk.

If Ranboo had to give Gentle anything, it was that the man had manners. After stopping to listen, he invited them back to his apartment for tea and a patch-up.

As in, what they COULD have had instead of the bullshit that preceded it.

"I do apologize for the misunderstanding," Gentle said, setting down some small pastries. "But when my door is opened to a known licensed UA student, you can understand my reaction."

Tommy rubbed his head. "Yeeeeeeeeah, about that..." he muttered, expression going more serious. "That's...a bit outdated. And part of the reason why we're here."

He gave the duo an abridged, carefully edited version of what was going on, and to their credit, they seemed to be respectfully invested in what he had to say. Better to Ranboo, Gentle had legitimate concerns and follow-up remarks that showed they weren't just going to be glory-hounding fodder.

"If you're aware of my work, then you know that I am not one for violence if I can help it," the man said, folding his hands on the table. "My concerns are with the smaller issues that do not make the headway they should, with the hopes that they will one day be seen and dealt with accordingly."

Tommy nodded. "I understand that," he replied. "Which is what we're aiming to achieve, in our own way." He gave Ranboo a soft look. "These little things that society deems inconsequential that lead to bigger, more pressing issues...but on a grander scale." He gestured lightly with his hands. "We're not here to ask you to be out on the front lines at all, not if you don't want to be. It's not just your quirks we're interested in, it's you as people, in what you can bring as a member of the new society we're hoping to build."

He gave them both a bright smile. "Gentle, your concerns with the 'little things' is something to be admired, especially since you try to show what they are without focusing on combat to make your point. And La Brava, your networking and hacking skills rival those in the highest levels of security, and that doesn't even come close to what you have in terms of loyalty to a person and a cause."

He sat back in his seat, expression going more serious. "You want your names to be known in history to come...but deeds far outweigh names, and the legacy lasts twice as long. As strong as you are, Gentle, if it came down to battle, I'd want you as a defense for the weaker, not in combat offense. And La Brava, your intellect and skills would make intel-gathering and spreading of messages so much easier, if you had the right access points.

"I know it's a lot, asking you guys to give up making bigger names for yourselves to join the Front, but I looked you up specifically to help make us stronger...and in return, we'd offer you both support, protection, and a platform for your own voice.

Neutrality Order (TomBoo)Where stories live. Discover now